Coppel Group joins the fight against corruption

In mid-October 2021, the Rule of Law Index 2021, prepared by the World Justice Project, was released, in which Mexico fell from 104th to 113th place. One of the most relevant categories of the report is corruption, in which our country occupies the 135th position out of 139 countries.
In terms of corruption, the study measures three fundamental aspects that are bribes, undue influence of public or private interests, and embezzlement of public funds, and also applies to government officials in the Executive Branch, as well as those of the Legislative and Judicial branches, in addition to emphasizing the Army and police corporations.
These types of indicators remind us that fighting corruption is everyone’s task, not only the governments in turn, and the role played by companies is fundamental; therefore, it is increasingly necessary that in this sector there are clear rules within the organization in terms of integrity, ethics and anti-corruption policies.
“We have learned that respect and compliance with legal provisions and best national and international practices in terms of compliance are the only route for those of us who participate, directly or indirectly, to materialize the purpose of Grupo Coppel,” reads the message from Agustín Coppel Luken, Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of Grupo Coppel. on the website where the Group makes these rules public.
This is the Business Integrity Program with which Grupo Coppel, which is celebrating its 80th anniversary, seeks to prevent, attend and take action against unwanted behavior of each and every one of those who belong to the organization, from shareholders, directors and directors, to collaborators and third parties who have a commercial relationship with them.
The program is very broad since it considers issues such as the security of the information they handle, the environmental policies they promote, prevention, safety and health actions at work, and anti-corruption and anti-money laundering measures.
It also emphasizes that they have a Code of Ethics for the Group, as well as very detailed manuals of the expected behaviors for all the members, the mechanisms of consultation and denunciation, the powers of the Ethics Committee and the disciplinary measures in case of non-compliance.
Augustine Coppel Luken. Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of Grupo Coppel
ZERO TOLERANCE
For the implementation of this program, Coppel has a Compliance Team, which is responsible for disseminating in each business unit the culture of ethical and legal performance, as well as the Anti-Corruption program.
The commitment to zero tolerance for corruption in any of its forms is clearly expressed in a visible, accessible and emphatic way.
The program’s website, which is accessible to anyone who wishes to consult it, includes the Code of Ethics, in addition to other documents such as Anti-Corruption Policy, Gifts and Attention Policy, Donation Policy, Related Parties and Conflicts of Interest Policy, Regulatory Compliance Policy, Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Prevention Policy and Personal Data Policy.
The Code of Ethics, for example, has as its general objective “to express the values of the company translated into policies that guide the conduct of the people who are part of Grupo Coppel, in order to achieve the organizational purpose”.
These documents indicate the guiding principles of this company, such as respect for human rights and equality, inclusion and recruitment policies, all so that all people have the same opportunities to join the Group.
In addition, the commitment to non-discrimination and against workplace harassment and sexual harassment is evident. It also establishes prevention, safety and health policies at work, and restrictions on consuming, possessing, trading, offering or presenting under the influence of alcohol, drugs, narcotics or other substances prohibited by law during the working day.
 
MORE DETAILS
Throughout the integrity platform of Grupo Coppel we can know that bribery in any of its forms is prohibited, as well as promising, offering or giving anything of value to influence the decisions of third parties. In addition to the ban, there is also the Anti-Corruption Policy and the Anti-Bribery Protocol.
Nor is it allowed to receive, offer, promise or grant any gift, favor or attention, in cash or kind, directly or through third parties, in order to give or gain an advantage.
In the same way, it is not may offer or deliver donations to any public servant or governmental authority, whether federal, state, municipal, or foreign, for improper purposes. With regard to the prevention of money laundering, the Group affirms that they comply with all national and international legal provisions on money laundering and financing of terrorism, so they do not allow the concealment or concealment of the origin, location, destination, movement, ownership or ownership of resources, rights or assets that could be of illicit origin, ensuring the due knowledge and identification of all its clients, users and third parties.     
 
PROTECTION OF THE COMPLAINT
The Coppel Group document also details how the Ethics and Compliance Committee is formed, what its functions are and the roles and responsibilities of the personnel that make it up.
It is also explicit the prohibition of taking any type of retaliation against the person who denounces, in good faith, alleged improper acts or who cooperates with an investigation related to a complaint. 
And there are also telephones, emails and web pages so that any collaborator of the company can make their complaint, which can be anonymous and will be attended confidentially by an independent third party. Penalties are also established in case of non-compliance with this program. 
“Disciplinary measures shall be in proportion to the gravity of the offence, taking into account the recidivism and background of the person complained of, regardless of the additional legal actions appropriate for the specific case. If a shareholder, director, collaborator or third party has knowledge of the performance of conduct contrary to the Code of Ethics, he must report it; otherwise, it becomes a partner in the identified behaviors,” the document states.
Among the disciplinary measures contemplated in the program is a personal talk, with a copy to the labor file, warning him of a possible progressive discipline in case of incurring again in any fault; a formal written warning; a temporary suspension in accordance with the applicable labour legislation in each country, and even the termination of the employment, professional, commercial or business relationship.
“The Coppel Group Code of Ethics strengthens our company’s sense of responsibility and provides a path forward. We did so based on the ethical practices we have developed over decades, and on the best international examples on these issues. Our purpose: to be a better company for everyone”, says Agustín Coppel Luken when presenting the Code of Ethics.

Original source in Spanish